Northwestern University Introduces File Bridge
Open Source Connector for Blackboard and Xythos Customers
Boston, MA – July 10, 2007 – Xythos Software, a leading developer of basic document management software, today announced that the Xythos/Blackboard File Bridge Extension is now available for customer download. The open source application was developed by Northwestern University Information Technology (NUIT) to facilitate content exchange between its Blackboard and Xythos applications and to simplify user access to both academic systems. The File Bridge Extension is now available for other colleges and universities to use at no extra charge.
Millions of faculty and students rely on Xythos to manage and share their documents and content. Many of these same users also rely on Blackboard technology to support their learning management requirements. Often content stored in Xythos systems is related to Blackboard courses while content created in Blackboard is later archived and re-used with Xythos. The Xythos/Blackboard File Bridge Extension (File Bridge) enables instructors using the Blackboard system in their teaching to take advantage of features within their Xythos accounts, providing greater convenience and utility in distributing resources to students via their Blackboard course sites.
File Bridge also can be used to allow a group of instructors or an entire institution to distribute content within multiple courses, without proliferating copies of the content among multiple Blackboard course sites. File Bridge allows students and instructors with accounts in the Xythos system to quickly access Xythos from Blackboard without requiring a second login. “File Bridge has become a valuable tool for our faculty and students’ work with Blackboard,” observed Brian Nielsen, NUIT Project Manager for Faculty Initiatives at the University. “It allows us to give our students easier collaboration options within their course sites, it supports an active learning model that we are working to promote, and our faculty like the ease with which they are able to share their own electronic offprint collections,” he added.
The two company’s technologies are complimentary and support common web interoperability standards, such as WebDAV and JSR 168. As result, a variety of institutions are expected to benefit from the introduction of File Bridge. “We’re excited that Northwestern has released its File Bridge technology,” commented Doug Herrick, Interim Director of Special Projects at Thomas Jefferson University. “It will help us pursue our enterprise-wide content storage initiatives and better serve the collaborative needs of our administrators, faculty and students.” he added.
“Customers like Northwestern University recognize that the value of content is a function of its accessibility, discoverability and re-use,” said Tom Grant, vice president of product management at Xythos. “We’re excited to work together with the academic community to help ensure that no system remains a content silo,” he added. Xythos and Blackboard customers interested in using the Xythos/Blackboard File Bridge Extension can download it from http://opensource.at.northwestern.edu/projects/filebridge
Xythos Software is a leading developer of basic content management applications and services. Xythos’ open standards-based document and content management solutions help customers safely capture, manage, store and share content throughout its lifecycle. Xythos technology is licensed to over three million users at commercial, education and government organizations around the world. To learn more about Xythos, visit www.xythos.com. Experience Xythos as a software service (SaaS). Try Xythos on Demand free for 30 days at www.xythosondemand.com.